A final week of training camp remains for the University of Cincinnati football team before its in-season schedule begins, with classes starting Aug. 24. With the Boston College opener less than three weeks away, UC will have another scrimmage this week, followed by a mock game before the Bearcats face the Eagles of the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) for real.
Early starter speculation for Cincinnati Bearcats All is subject to change, but here are some depth chart educated guesses: UC Bearcats offense Quarterback: JC French IV, with Samaj Jones and Liam O'Brien battling for the No. 2 spot. Running back: Gi'Bran Payne/Zion Johnson with Zylan Perry and Cole Tabb certainly still in the mix. Offensive line: Joe Cotton at left tackle, Evan Tengesdahl at left guard, Taran Tyo at center, Xavier Lozowicki at right guard, Judea Milon at right tackle. Tight end: Gavin Grover with a hard push from Ka'Maurri Smith. Multiple tight ends will play. Receivers: JV Gibson, Gio Kontosis and Isaiah Johnson will start; Cade Wolford, Malachi Henry and Larenzo Fenner will play; and some freshmen may push their way into the picture. Kicker, punter, holder, long snapper: Stephen Rusnak kicks, Max Fletcher punts and holds and Eli Stein is long snapper.
UC Bearcats defense Defensive line: Marquaze Parker and Thomas Johnson start on the ends; in the middle it's Elijah Gunn/Thomas Hough. If Hough is healthy, he may get the nod on sheer athletic ability. Linebackers: Jonathan Thompson and Damaine Wilson inside, with Filip Maciorowski, Simeon Coleman and Montay Weedon getting reps. Outside at "Cat" is Antwan Peek Jr., with Brian Simms III at "Dog." Patrick Bauer is the understudy for Simms, Marquavious Saboor for Peek. Safeties: MJ Cannon and Jasper Beeler. CJ Crite and KK Meier are waiting in the wings. Cornerbacks: Kenny Worthy and Jacob Finley, with Zay "Gravy" Johnson, Patrick Williams and Daniel James possibly getting reps. 5 takeaways from Monday, Aug. 17 post-scrimmage practice .oembed-frame {width:100%;height:100%;margin:0;border:0;}
Making every rep count#GoBearcats | https://t.co/1JLC97uKK1pic.twitter.com/8HVPRMrNEu — Cincinnati Football (@GoBearcatsFB) August 17, 2026
1. UC's receivers heard coach Scott Satterfield's criticisms Satterfield demanded more consistency after watching the Saturday, Aug. 15, scrimmage, particularly from Gibson and sophomore Kontosis, two projected starters. Kontosis has been very vocal and has been described by Satterfield as "playing receiver like a linebacker." It appeared both were more aggressive, though the defensive backs have also picked it up, with corner James breaking up a long toss to the end zone to Gibson. Transfers Henry and Wolford continue to be reliable, and returning slot Johnson also hauled in a touchdown.
2. UC defensive lineman Josh Hough is self-described 'Train' A possible replacement at nose tackle for Dontay Corleone is another physical oddity, Hough. At 6-foot-2 and 335 pounds, he doesn't look like a speedster but is deceptively fast. Though he came from Division II California University (Pennsylvania), he was once a 288-pound running back recruit at Syracuse. He knows some of the bigger backs in the game and, being from Pennsylvania, followed Jerome Bettis, "The Bus." He described himself as "The Train" running the ball. Hough ran for over 2,000 yards as a high school senior, averaging 16.5 yards per carry. "Nobody's running the ball on me. I'm stopping everything that comes my way," Hough said. "I'm going to try to be the most dominant person on the field." For those who doubt his speed, Hough has a quick response. "They're a fool," the sixth-year player said.
3. UC quarterbacks battling for No. 2 job gain confidence Jones led UC to five scores in his five possessions and O'Brien was 3 of 5 in putting up points in the Aug. 15 scrimmage. Jones had an impressive roll-out touchdown pass to freshman Dadrien Waller, and O'Brien found 6-foot-5 freshman Josh Smith for six. "We have so much depth," Jones said. "The ones, twos and threes could be starters for us. We've got a lot of good dudes." O'Brien has great vision as a runner and ran for 548 yards and seven scores for the Ivy League Penn Quakers. He credits his lacrosse background for his elusiveness. His analytical mind may also help him, as he already has a job offer from JPMorgan as an investment banker once he's done toting the pigskin. "I'm going to embrace everything about this year and being in Cincinnati," O'Brien said. "It's definitely a weight off the shoulders to know I have that (job) and to be secure in that regard. At the same time, I get to do what I love and throw the football."
4. UC's Director of Football Sports Performance is in perpetual motion Once Niko Palazeti is done leading the Bearcats through opening stretches, he provides his unique brand of verbal hype to the team, then circles the field repeatedly carrying water bottles. A fullback at Michigan State, when water breaks may not have been as prevalent, Palazeti constantly has some "high-quality H2O" ready while he constantly talks up players. 5. UC's offensive line shows some attitude It was an animated day for the men up front, which started with breaking up a scuffle with a defensive back during a special teams drill. As with most skirmishes, it was over before it started. Later, in a scrimmage situation, there was a flag thrown on the offensive sideline that tackle Joe Cotton and others took umbrage to late in practice. Starting guard Evan Tengesdahl took matters into his own hands by picking the yellow beanie up and hiding it in his pants. Legal? No. But Tengesdahl is on everybody's preseason All-American list, and it was a light moment during a steamy August practice. This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: UC Bearcats football depth chart projections, takeaways on Aug. 17